Patients waiting for a lifesaving transplant rely heavily on the public to make the choice to become organ donors. The shortage of deceased donor organs has reached a crisis, with almost 120,000 people in need of a lifesaving organ nationwide. Over 3,000 of those are Mayo Clinic patients. However, living donors can help shorten the wait time for many patients waiting for kidney, liver and/or bone marrow transplants.

Mayo Clinic pediatrician Phil Fischer, M.D., decided to become a living donor and give a kidney anonymously. To hear Dr. Fisher explain how a patient in need of a kidney transplant touched his heart and inspired him to explore altruistic organ donation, play the video below.